May 22, 2019

The Merry Month of May enjoys five Wednesdays.¬† A recent one was particularly merry.¬† Twelve equestrians took out of Champion that morning on Bud Hutchison‚Äôs Spring Champion Trail Ride, but not before Wilma Hutchison had them lined up, photographed and interrogated as to who they were, where they were from and the names of their horses.¬† The riders were patient through the process and happy to have Wilma documenting the event as she has over many years.¬† It was a happy bunch that trotted up the hill to cross Clever Creek and then wander up Fox Creek Road.¬† They came ambling back in from the east in the early afternoon, glad for ice cream at the Historic Emporium and glad for a safe ride with no incidents.¬† Several of the riders had never been to Champion.¬† One of them, Larry Luna on Makers Mark from over at Gainesville, was heard to remark, ‚ÄúIt‚Äôs kind of wooly down here.‚ÄĚ¬† He was, at that moment, standing on the very wide, wild, wooly banks of Auld Fox Creek.¬† Those mysterious cowboys from Mountain Grove did not make the ride this time‚ÄĒnot the good looking one or the one with the big hat.¬† They might show up yet.¬† Anyway, we will look forward to Wilma‚Äôs pictures when she gets them developed.¬† Look for pictures of Wilma taking pictures at www.championnews.us.

Master Sargent Robert Upshaw at the U.S. Airforce Memorial in Washington D.C.

Other marvelous May memories will come to Loretta Upshaw and her Dad, MSgt. R. Upshaw, who returned Wednesday from a trip to Washington, D.C. with the Honor Flight of the Ozarks.¬† A huge crowd greeted them and all the Veterans and their companions at the airport that evening.¬† Among the welcoming throng were 19 Upshaws.¬† The photographs Loretta posted on the internet let us share in the experience.¬† Our Veteran reported that it was awesome to see the military memorials and monuments that are dedicated to the men and women who served in the wartime years.¬† He spoke of the hardships they each faced during their time in the war zones and lamented that many did not ever get to see the results of their efforts.¬† He served 21 years in the U.S. Air Force and said, ‚ÄúAs I was never on the front lines I feel somewhat undeserving of having the distinction of getting to be a member of this year‚Äôs first Honor Flight of the Ozarks tour, especially since many of those to whom these memorials and monuments are dedicated are unable to go or are no longer with us.‚ÄĚ¬† His friends and family think he is indeed deserving.¬† According to the guidelines, anyone serving during the campaign period of WWII, Korea, or Vietnam, is qualified to go, regardless of where they were stationed.¬† Also any Veteran of any other campaign after Vietnam who is terminally ill is qualified.¬† Go to www.honorflightoftheozarks.org for more information or call (417) 268-9052.¬† Memorial Day will give us a chance to salute all our Veterans.

Anyway, the Master Sargent has for some time now been known as The General of the Champion Navy.¬† He will be out mowing the grounds, getting ready for the Denlow School Reunion.¬† Denlow Wildcats baseball caps commemorating the 25th Denlow/Fairview Reunion were given out in 2011.¬† Last year there were buttons distributed that said, ‚ÄúFairview/Denlow; More eduukashun than the 2nd kick of a mule!‚ÄĚ¬† This year marks the 33rd reunion.¬† Who knows what excitement will materialize.¬† There will be another of those wonderful auctions.¬† Laverne Miller used to do the auctioneering and he did a brilliant job describing the beautiful Christmas ornaments that Jesse Mae made.¬† Pete Proctor was the auctioneer last year.¬† He had been on the Honor Flight to Washington earlier that year and had been very moved by the experience.¬† He saved the best for last with the final item up for bid a beautiful table made by Ray Hicks of Blue Grass, Iowa.¬† Joy Ann Coonts Firrell also lives in Blue Grass, Iowa.¬† She will be at the Reunion.¬† People will be coming from near and far for the fun of it, for the remembrance of days gone by, for the chance to see old friends and family again, for the fantastic pot-luck lunch and for the solemnity of celebrating Decoration Day and all that brings to mind.

The fourth Friday of every month finds Shirley Emerson of the Douglas County Health Department in downtown Champion doing blood pressure tests for people in the community.¬† She gets to the store and is set up by 8:30 in the morning and stays for a couple of hours enjoying the tranquility of one of the world‚Äôs truly beautiful places while she does her part to promote healthy living.¬† Last month she passed out some material about the ‚ÄėDouglas County Woman Exercise Challenge Summer 2019.‚Äô¬† There will be participation awards for those who complete four weeks of exercise–150 minutes of moderate exercise per week for any 4 weeks during May, June, or July.¬† She provides a log to fill in with the date, the type of exercise and the number of minutes.¬† Participation awards include a water bottle, a Zumba voucher, and day use passes for the MOCH Wellness Center.¬† All those completing the challenge will be entered into a prize drawing:¬† (three) $15.¬† Town and Country gift certificates, (one) crockpot, (one) MOCH Wellness Center 1 month membership, MOCH Wellness Center t-shirt, and (one) $25 Jean‚Äôs Heathway gift certificate.¬† Shirley says drop off exercise logs at Douglas County Health Department or MOCH Wellness Center by Thursday, August 8, 2019 to be eligible for prizes.¬† The Prize drawing will be on August 12, 2019.¬† Pick up a participation log from her Friday morning or stop in at the Douglas County Health Department.¬† One Old Champion woman plans to detail the type of exercise such as ‚ÄėHanging laundry on a really high clothes line‚Äô and ‚Äėweeding the onions by hand.‚Äô¬† Georgianna Littilefield will write in ‚Äėpushed a three wheeled lawn mower 14 miles.‚Äô¬† It is likely to be an interesting challenge.

Kristi Towe has a birthday on May 20th.¬† Lena Bell Wagner celebrates on the 26th and it may be that she shares the date with John Webber.¬† There is a question mark by his name in the Champion Birthday Book.¬† Anyway, the mystery will be solved on Thursday at the Vanzant Jam where they will both be serenaded by the whole crowd.¬† Ed Henson was born May 27, 1903.¬† Ray Hicks complained that there are not enough stories about Mr. Henson in The Champion News.¬† Brylee Clark was born May 28, 2010.¬† Jesse Mae Miller‚Äôs birthday is also the 28th.¬† She was 92 last year.¬† We do not know exactly how old Dale Thomas will be on the 28th.¬† We might have to ask Betty.¬† Young fiddler, Alex Moses of Austin, Texas, will celebrate her birthday on the 31st.¬† She is a Champion Granddaughter‚ÄĒLooking on the Bright Side!

May 14, 2019

At the last possible moment the Third Annual Champion Spring Fling had to be cancelled. It turned out to be a good call because the cold rain just kept coming down all day Saturday. It was a disappointment, but it was the responsible thing to do. There will be some glorious day ahead when we Spring Flingers can revel in the sun. We will enjoy the fellowship of friends and neighbors, the music of local jammers and the fish dinners with all the fixings and crazy taters made to order by the Prominent Champion and his minions. Champions understand that good things are worth the wait, so enjoy the anticipation and when the new date is set, you will be the first to know.

A beautiful day in the Ozarks on Sunday made Mother‚Äôs Day a perfect day. There were extravagant expressions of gratitude and genuine appreciation for the effort it takes to raise children. Often the realization of that effort does not come until we are parents ourselves. One recalls her Mother having said, ‚ÄúI hope you have a dozen and I hope they are all just like you.‚ÄĚ For those of you lucky to still have your mothers in the world with you, feel free to tell them you love and appreciate them any time you please. No need for a special day for our Champion mothers.

There was a good turnout for the public meeting concerning the Skyline Volunteer Fire Department on Friday evening. A grant proposal is in the offing for a new fire station. When it materializes it will mean a change in the configuration of the picnic grounds, but will not change the picnic! When it happens there will be improvement in the capabilities of the fire department such as being able to refill the pumper truck quickly and reliably. Hopes are that enhanced training facilities, upgraded equipment and technologies will encourage more young people in the area to become involved in the fire department. Volunteers are the folks that protect our property and our lives. The picnic has historically generated much needed income for the fire department, but more than that it has generated a sense of community. It is a chance to express our appreciation for the volunteers who leave their jobs and lives at a moment‚Äôs notice when they are needed. It is also an opportunity to renew old acquaintance and to reminiscence as we have here on these grounds for decades–Champion continuity.

May is a popular month for birthdays. The crowd sang that song for Kenneth Anderson Thursday at the bluegrass jam. His birthday was a day or two earlier according to tattle-tale sources. Elizabeth Heffern and Linda Cooley share the 15th as their special day. Alvie Dooms and Ivan Moses have the 16th for their celebration. Exer Hector Masters and Rachael Cohen, dynamic women both, have the 18th as their special day. Heidi Strong is in the 7th grade at Skyline. She and Teresa Wrinkles both celebrate on May 22nd. Happy birthday wishes go to all of you from your Champion friends.

In a chat with J.R. Johnston the other day he talked about hauling the asphalt for the road between Branson and Silver Dollar City. He knew a lot about the area and had been going there since it was just beginning to be an attraction. When he was growing up his family lived over on Fox Creek near the Manfred Smith place and he walked the three miles to the Champion School meeting up with Krider kids along the way. He enjoyed the Champion School Reunions and the Spring Flings. Hearts are broken at his sudden passing on Friday. He had been absent from the local bluegrass jams that he loved for a few weeks, doing physical therapy, trying to alleviate the pain he was having in his hip. The cold damp weather did not help. It was great that he felt like getting out on his mower on the first beautiful day in a long time, but he had an accident and lost his life. His many friends have lost the pleasantness of his company and the shared joy he had with them and music. On Monday the steady stream of friends and family at his visitation numbered in the hundreds. They came to express their affection for him and to offer condolences to the family. It was a precious scene. J.R. and Janet have been part of music gatherings all around the country for many of their 67 years together. Hearts are broken, but we smile when we think of them in Champion‚ÄĒLooking on the Bright Side!

May 7, 2019

Twenty-seven tornadoes in the general area and four confirmed in Douglas County made for an exciting beginning to the week.¬† Downed trees and washed out roads are still making things inconvenient for some for a while, but the gentlemen who run the road graders on the county roads have made good progress on repairing the damage.¬† A few hours without power for one Champion family was a reminder of what it was like in the old days.¬† They are fortunate to have gravity fed spring water and a gas cook stove, so a lack of power is not really a big deal for them.¬† Still, the quiet and the disconnect from the tumult of the troubled world was kind of a gift.¬† A few quiet hours of candlelight and reminiscing were pleasant enough.¬† Some with all-electric homes were without power for six days.¬† They enjoyed the extended experience of life as their forbearers knew it.¬† However, the old timers considered hauling water for every need as just part of every-day life and early to bed was the way everyone did it.¬† Champions will be grateful that it was not worse and will extend their hands to help neighbors with difficulties.¬† Linda Clark posted pictures on the internet of the flood damage at Vera Cruz.¬† A camper lost his life there.¬† It is important to heed the warnings.

The Champion Spring Fling on Saturday the 11th will be an excellent chance for friends and neighbors to share their stories, to compare their rain fall totals and harken back to accounts of historic storms and floods.¬† It will also be a good chance to enjoy some excellent food, music by local jammers and the fellowship of friends and neighbors.¬† Bring your lawn chairs, your sun hats or parasols if it is going to be sunny, or your wraps if you expect it to be chilly, maybe an umbrella.¬† Who knows?¬† Festivities will begin around 11 in the morning and will go on well into the afternoon.¬† Everyone is welcome.¬† Kathy Pollock is part of an internet group called Southern Missouri History, Families and Photographs.¬† She posted a picture taken at the New Hope Cemetery with Ferley Lambert, Tom Hancock, Frank Giles, Floyd Hancock, Tom Dobbs, J.T. Shelton, CC Cooley and Tolbert Shelton.¬† Go to www.championnews.us to get a gander at these Champions of Yore.¬† Come to the Spring Fling and enjoy Champion Today!

Oliver Sacks was a British neurologist, naturalist, historian of science and author.¬† A friend recently shared an excerpt from his book, Everything In Its Place, published after his death in 2015.¬† He said that in 40 years of medical practice he found only two types of non-pharmaceutical ‚Äútherapy‚ÄĚ to be vitally important for patients with chronic neurological diseases:¬† music and gardens¬† He was known to be a compassionate, caring person.¬† He use the words ‚Äėbiophilia,‚Äô the love of nature and living things, and ‚Äėhortophilia,‚Äô the desire to interact with, manage and tend nature.¬† He said the effects of nature‚Äôs qualities on health are not only spiritual and emotional but physical and neurological.¬† Sacks wrote a book called Musicophilia:¬† Tales of Music and the Brain and another called Gratitude.¬† These will go on the Champion Reading List.¬† Gratitude comes in to play when we talk about dear friends who are willing to share the good things.

May the 3rd would have been Pete Seeger‚Äôs 100th birthday.¬† He passed away in 2014, leaving us with a great treasure trove of music.¬† It was said of him that he knew there were possibilities that we could–through collective participation and struggle–build a better world.¬† So now that the hickory leaves are as big a squirrel‚Äôs ears, we can get out there and plant that corn while singing, ‚ÄúThis Land is Your Land.‚ÄĚ¬† Back in 1950 Seeger was a member of the singing group the Weavers.¬† Their recording of Lead Belly‚Äôs ‚ÄúGoodnight, Irene,‚ÄĚ topped the chart for 13 weeks.¬† Do you sometimes get a song in your head that just stays with you?¬† That happens to The Prominent Champion with, ‚ÄúGive me some green alligators, some long necked geese some humpty back camels and some chimpanzees…‚ÄĚ¬† He saw a monkey out on 95 Highway one night coming home, just ask him.

Twenty-four Upshaw family members gathered at the Vanzant Community Building on Sunday the 26th of April.¬† They came from near and far for the fun of it and The General said, ‚ÄúI was amazed how well some behaved.‚ÄĚ¬† Birthday celebrants, expected to behave but have fun on their special days include Skyline 5th grader, Gracie Nava, on the 7th and kindergarten‚Äôs Timmy Logan on the 8th.¬† Bonnie Brixie Mullins celebrates on the 9th.¬† She probably has some interesting stories to tell about growing up in these parts and attending school in the exciting berg of Denlow.¬† Fourth grader, Conner Jonas, will have his big day on the 12th sharing it with all America‚Äôs mothers.¬† On Mother‚Äôs Day, phones will be ringing off the hook.¬† ‚ÄėOff the hook‚Äô may be a phrase that is slipping out of use since most telephones are no longer the kind that hang up on the wall or sit on a table.¬† When a modern phone recently ceased to function, an old fashioned rotary dial phone was put in its place.¬† It is an antique.¬† Old people smile when they see it, enjoying the memories.¬† Youngsters just think it is funny looking and cannot imagine putting their finger in the hole and turning the dial around.

J.C. Owsley called in to Champion on Saturday looking for more information about the running gunfight in Vanzant.¬† Per capita, Booger County has as much mischief and lawlessness as many other parts of the country.¬† Still, overall, we feel safe.¬† Mother‚Äôs Day provides an opportunity for everyone to adhere to some sound motherly advice:¬† ‚ÄúJust act like you have good sense.‚ÄĚ¬† That is what we try to do every day in Champion‚ÄĒLooking on the Bright Side!

May 1, 2019

The Skyline R2 Fun Run, the 5k Donut Dash was an unqualified success on Saturday.¬† Thirty-seven runners participated.¬† All the runners completed the course of just over three miles in under an hour which is an improvement over last year.¬† The surprising thing is that the youngest and smallest of the group was the winner.¬† Kindergarten student, Kash Hurt (#20), came in first with a time of 29:30.¬† Last year, Levi Hicks won at 23:39.¬† Andrew Hardin was in second place last year at 23:45.¬† Andrew was in second place again this year at 29:04.¬† He was asked if he and the third place winner, Jim Hurt (29:07), had perhaps lagged back so the little guy could win.¬† He said Kash had led the whole way and that he won fair and square.¬† The whole group enjoyed donuts and fruit as prizes were awarded to the winners of the various categories.¬† The Skyline Wellness Committee sponsored the event with the co-operation of the Skyline Volunteer Fire Department and the sheriff‚Äôs departments of both Douglas and Wright Counties.¬† Promoting good health through activity is a great goal.

This is a busy time of the year in Champion.¬† Gardens are going in and farmers are busy doing those things that have to be done to keep America fed.¬† We appreciate it.¬† The hummingbirds are coming back in such numbers that we feel the chance of another hard frost is slim, but we have been fooled before.¬† There were great flights of geese headed north Monday morning.¬† The almanac indicates that May 3rd will be good to plant root crops.¬† Above the ground crops can go in May 4, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17.¬† Notice how the 11th of May is not a good day for planting, harvesting, for pruning or fertilizing.¬† It is, however, going to be a fantastic day for the Third Annual Champion Spring Fling!¬† Get ready for some fun. Bring your musical instruments, your lawn chairs and your sun bonnets.¬† Upon seeing a picture of the old Champion Store building on the internet, Amanda Mayberry said, ‚ÄúMy Dad used to tell us a story about Grandpa Jon Rhoades breaking a mule and winning hats and pocket knives for his prize at the store.‚ÄĚ¬† There is likely to be quite a bit of reminiscing going on.¬† The following Wednesday morning, the 15th, Bud Hutchison‚Äôs Spring Trail Ride will head up on the Square.¬† The fun never stops.

First, second and third across the finish line.

The Upshaw contingent was legion in Vanzant on Thursday.¬† One traveled 3,654.3 + miles for the occasion.¬† That was Major Loni Upshaw.¬† She joined her mother-Sue, sister-Darcy, and brother-in-law-Ron Cecil from Idaho for a foray into the back woods.¬† Their presence drew in many local family members.¬† Darcy came bearing a gift for the General‚ÄĒa Redneck Brief Case.¬† Look for a picture of this unique item in this week‚Äôs post at www.championnews.us.¬† The laugher filled the Bluegrass Hall and the enjoyment spread to everyone there.¬† It is joyful to see a big spread-out family be so close.¬† Champions!

Jacob Moffett brought his big boom truck to Champion North on Monday and, with a couple of helpers, managed to bring down an enormous walnut tree that had begun to threaten the house over which it was hanging.¬† It was a pleasure to watch skillful, hardworking men accomplish this amazing task with such precision.

Helen Batten won first place in her division at the Skyline R2 5K Donut Dash Fun Run on Saturday.¬† She is a dynamo.¬† It was a great event orchestrated to involve the community in good health practices.¬† Area residents are welcome to use the quarter mile walking track that meanders through school and Skyline VFD property.¬† The school is a vital part of our community.¬† We are lucky to have it and lucky to have Terri Ryan teaching there.¬† Her birthday is May 1st.¬† She must have grown up thinking the whole world was celebrating her special day.¬† May Day has significance for its roots in ancient pagan festivals marking the beginning of summer.¬† Back in the 1880s more than 300,000 workers in 13,000 businesses across the United States walked off their jobs on May 1st in a bid for an 8 hour work day.¬† Around here we are happy to celebrate Terri on the 1st and Dovey Dooms on the 2nd.¬† Dovey‚Äôs sister, Reba Bishop, has been absent from the Wednesday gathering down on Auld Fox Creek lately and her friends are looking forward to having her back again.¬† Someone will ask Don if he has heard that it is time to plant corn when the hickory leaves are as big a squirrels‚Äô ears.¬† Willie Nelson‚Äôs birthday is April 29, 1933.¬† He is still making music and doing good work for farmers‚ÄĒa National Treasure.

Spring has our attention diverted from the troubles of the world.¬† We are busy planting tropical milk weed and other plants beneficial for our butterflies and other pollinators.¬† We see that Morel mushrooms sell for $32.99 a pound at Mama Jean‚Äôs in Springfield.¬† Intrepid hunters in these parts pay for them with tick bites and briar scratches.¬† Outside in nature we can, for minutes at a time, forget the craziness that seems to be going on in every corner.¬† Mother‚Äôs Day is coming up on Sunday, May 12th.¬† The whole world could benefit from some solid motherly advice:¬† ‚ÄúJust act like you have good sense!‚ÄĚ¬† That is what we try to do here in Champion‚ÄĒLooking on the Bright Side!

The race course has many ups and downs, but the runners did not seem to mind.

April 23, 2019

Champions are not weary of the excessive extolling of the beauty of nature in our part of the world. This seems to be an outstanding year for every booming thing. Once again we are celebrating the most glorious spring we can remember. The woods are filling in quickly. Soon all those cabins, chateaus and palatial estates will disappear from view. Mushrooms are still being found and ticks are being the nuisance we expect them to be. Were it not for the ticks and the chiggers, the countryside would be overrun with tourists (touristers) and land speculators. That does not mean that we have to like the ticks, but it shows that to everything there is a season and a time to every purpose, under heaven.

Myrtle Harris

Myrtle Harris had a spectacular birthday party on Saturday. She is 90 years old. The balloons, the cards, the cake, the band, and the many friends and family congratulating her kept her smiling through the afternoon. She is probably smiling yet, grateful for the loving family who arranged the tribute. It was a glorious spring day. Bouquets of flowers added just the right touch for a lovely lady who is well known for her own green thumb. Taegan Krider is a third grade student at Skyline. Her birthday is on the 30th of April. She has a long way to go to catch up to Myrtle, but chances are very good that her birthday will be memorable for her too. She has an enormous family. She is a descendant of people who are kin to almost everyone in the county‚ÄĒa fortunate young lady. All the reports are that the spring music program at the school on Thursday was just wonderful. Mrs. Casper has the gift of being able to coax the talent out of the children in a way that makes everyone feel good. Parents and grandparents are simply swollen with pride and joy at the accomplishments of their young ones. It was a Hoedown to be remembered. Mrs. Casper, Mrs. Downs and the Skyline student body showed a wide range of talents. The General said he saw the Hoedown Program, ‚ÄúI rate it as ‚Äė‚ÄôOUTSTANDING!‚ÄĚ With it all capitalized like that, you know it was good. Meanwhile, over at the Vanzant Bluegrass Hall, the circle swelled to twenty participants. What a night! A dedicated musician, unhampered by farm and yard chores, housework and child rearing, or having to work for a living, could find a jam most any night or day of the week somewhere in Douglas County or in the general area. Optimists believe this is the way it is all over the country, but it might not be so. We will just count ourselves lucky to be where we are.

Myrtle’s 90th

It happens sometimes that people we may love and care about, family and friends, may hold beliefs and opinions that are exactly the opposite of our own beliefs. At some point we finally ask ourselves if they think we are as off the wall, out of touch, misinformed, and delusional as we think they are. How can we have grown up together, or just exist in the same world, and be so disconnected? Do I offend and dismay my loved ones and break their hearts the way they do mine? The division is stark. It is hard to imagine how we can carry on. But we do. We talk on the phone. We meet for coffee.

Gardeners are doing the hard work now that will give them vegetable rewards later. They will be diligent in their efforts so that between the planting and the weeding they may take advantage of the many exciting things going on this time of the year. Among the upcoming events is the Skyline 5K Fun Run, being billed this time as the Donut Dash. It is sponsored by the Skyline Wellness Committee. It had originally been scheduled earlier in the month, but unsettled weather caused officials to postpone the event until this Saturday, April 27th. Participants will meet at the school at 7:30 a.m. and the race will start at 8:00. Last year the Skyline Volunteer Fire Department, together with the Douglas County and Wright County Sheriff‚Äôs Departments did an excellent job of controlling the traffic so that the runners could feel safe as they pounded the pavement. It is a good community effort to promote fitness.

J.c.Owsley

The Champion Spring Fling will be on Saturday, May 11th starting at about 11 in the morning. Bring your lawn chairs, and your sun hat. If you are a musician who likes to jam, bring your instruments. You will meet new friends and probably run into old friends you haven‚Äôt seen in a long time. Invitations are going out. It will be another fine day down on the wide, wild, wooly banks of Auld Fox Creek.

Our Champion friend, J.C. Owsley, has been on an epic trail ride out in Nebraska through the Soldier Creek Wilderness, the upper end of the Deer Creek Watershed and on the Fort Robinson Trails. Ride ‚Äėem cowboy! On the 15th, Bud Hutchison‚Äôs Spring Trail Ride will take off from Champion early in the day. The riders generally take up Fox Creek Road and wind around on the Shannon Ranch for a while before they come ambling back into Champion from the east in the early afternoon, looking for ice cream and a rest on the wide veranda in the shade. They will have stories to tell about Bud and reports of their day‚Äôs adventure. Wilma is recuperating from a fall and hopefully she will be far enough along in her recovery to venture out for the spectacle. The Historic Emporium on the North Side of the Square is equipped with a ramp to make access easy for folks with mobility issues. These are special events, but any day down on the wide banks of Auld Fox Creek is a day well spent in Champion‚ÄĒLooking on the Bright Side!